Despite its massive advantages, how much value your CRM system is able to provide comes down to how you use it, or more to the point, how efficiently you use it. Knowing how to get the most from your system will go a long way in helping it earn its keep.

How to Get More From Your CRM System

How can you be sure that you are getting full value from your CRM system? Let’s take a look at how you can streamline your CRM efforts…

Keep it simple. Ironically, one of the top reasons for a CRM to fail is trying to do too much at once. Trying to add too many features can end up causing confusion, which in turn can get in the way of your results. Instead, keep it simply by putting your time and effort into the features that add the most value. Once you have a strategy in place, you can begin to expand your workflow.

Focus on what is important. In order to create a strategy, you will first need to define what is important. Which features, fields and tabs are used the most often? Which help your sales team the most? What is your primary goal for using your CRM? Depending on your goals and focus, it will be a lot easier to streamline your system according to what is most important. That way, you can prevent distraction caused by features that are not adding genuine value.

Fix and organise your processes first. CRMs make it easier than ever to automate processes that would otherwise take up valuable time and effort. Automating broken or badly planned processes however can end up in disaster. First things first, it is a good idea to go over your processes, content, apps and data to check that it is in order before getting started. This will ensure that you have the best possible chances of succeeding with your CRM.

All in all, investing in a CRM is something that can add plenty of value to your entire business, from marketing to sales. Before you get started however, it will be incredibly useful to consider how you plan to use your system, whether you are automating clean, value-added processes and whether you need to simplify your system. Once you have a better idea of these factors, it will become far easier to get the most from your CRM system.